Newbie question

[chunkstyle]

Hello all,

I've been reading the posts and reading the manual and realize that there's quite a bit to do with getting your shopbot running after you've gotten it assembled. At least running in a way that will be good for you. This is what I'm trying to get my head around lately.
I'm probably gunna ask questions that are obvious to the rest but what the hey....I'll promise to find the answers in the old posts first.
Question 1; After reading about squaring up the gantry by pushing the machine up against the stops and then powering the machine up you are now past the limit switches of the machine correct? (it is on mine) If so, so you then have to use the keypad control to nudge the bit over to the corner of the table every time to re-establish 0,0?
2; I've noticed that there are some methods for zeroing out your tools x & Y axis by using a special jig. The jigs are aluminum and the cutters are moving in either an x or y direction until they make contact with the jig and stop moving (and I'm assuming zeroing out that axis). They look really slick. I also read where someone was getting a way for his machine to run over and zero itself out on the z after a tool change by a remote mounted aluminum zero plate. DANG! I'm just getting my head around it but what I was seeing or reading about made by creating custom files?
If so and your running a long e-cab file with a bunch of tool changes on each sheet how the heck does the custom file know when to be called up?
I'm guessing I'm sounding really ignorant so I'll limit this post to the two questions. Gotta learn this stuff though....
Thanks for any advice,
Tim

[Gary Campbell]

Tim....
Yes, once you square with power off, turn on control box and move back to within the prox limits with the keyboard. Then run the XY Zero routine. Your machine should now be square AND zeroed in X & Y.

There are many ways to develop a routine other than using the prox. I have tried a few of them, but keep going back to the prox, especially for cutting sheet goods. You will either have to have someone build you a jig and the files to make it work correctly or wait til you are skilled enough to do it yourself. Either way you will be +/- a couple thousandths.

During eCabs (SB Link) generated files the Link outputs the proper toolchange commands based on the information that you specify in the settings and how you have designed your joinery. Dont worry about this for now, IT WORKS!

[chunkstyle]

Thanks Gary,

I'll take you word for it. What is the XY zero routine that you mention. My routine is to put a pointy bit over the lower left hand cornet of the bed and ZX&ZY, after nudging it past the proximity switch, using the keyboard.

Tim

[Gary Campbell]

Tim...
Look in your documentation, there should be a page or so on zeroing the X & Y using the proximity switches. You can also type in "C3" at the keyboard (this is the OEM Custom 3 file)

[chunkstyle]

Thanks Gary,

I'll dig around for the documentation and read it over regarding the xy zero using the limit switches.
The reason I'm anxious about the zeroing out of z axis is that I have a lot of ecab files that will require tool changes as they are designed. If the machine asks for the next cutting bit I'm wondering how the heck I'll get the bit zeroed with the sheet stock being milled covering up the machine table. I can't see zeroing out the bit to the top of the material due to the thickness variation within sheet goods.
This is my wall I'm worried about around the learning curve...

Thanks again for the advice,
Tim

[myxpykalix]

Tim,
I don't have any pictures of this but others have done this and there should be pictures somewhere.

If you are going to Z zero to the table surface then others have taken the end of a round rod and mounted it next to their table so that it is at the same height as the surface of the table. So even if your table is covered you can use this to always get a correct table Z height.

Sorry i can't think of search terms to help.....guys?

[ken_rychlik]

Start with short ecab files.

Design with as few tool changes as possible.

When you have 20 sheets stacked up and you have to change bits three times per sheet you will understand. Even though it is easy to change and zero with my setup, it still takes you away from other things having to deal with it.

I'm sure Gary understands as he is getting a new tool change machine.

At this point I can't justify buying a tool changer for more than the cost of my machine.

Kenneth

[chunkstyle]

Thanks Jack,

I'll look around and see if I can find the technique your remembering. To my untrained mind it makes sense to have a spot off the table to be able to re-zero a cutter that's been changed out during a panel cutting operation. I'm assuming that the spot for this should be made adjustable in the z axis to be reset to a table surfacing.
I had seen a member that had cut off a hunk of his zero plate and fixed it to a spot off of the table. I think that the peice was hunk of zero plate was removed and the underlying substrate was surfaced down with the rest of his table. I'm wondering if a Rod that can be moved up or down could simply be moved down out of the way during table surfacing and then brought back up to level of the table?
I'm trying to get my machine set up to run it the way I envision it. I've been running e-cabs for a number of years (the link was a big motivator for getting my machine) and I am trying to think of ways to get it set up on the front end to run mostly e-cab files. I still have a lot to learn but thought I'd try tackling some of these mechanical ideas on the front end.
Hope I don't annoy anyone by asking what's already been covered.


Thanks again for all the advice and help,
Tim

[ken_rychlik]

This is the way I did mine. I also made a custom surface routine that surfaces the pad the same time it does the table.

Just pull the aluminum pad off of the top and tuck the wire out of the way.

it works wonderfull, compared to getting that plate out all the time.

Kenneth

[chunkstyle]

Ah HA!,

Thanks Ken, your post was what I was looking at before. Pardon my ignorance, but whan you say a custom surface routine are you talking about a new tool path that is created that takes into account your block of wood that the plate is attached to?
Also, did you create a routine ( I might be using the wrong terms ) that moves the tool over to the plate and zero's automaticly after the bit has been changed? I thought I recall that this was something that you were describing in your post?

Thanks,
Tim

[ken_rychlik]

Yes, Actually I give credit to GARY for helping with the files.

I knew what I wanted to do and he knew how to make it work.

I still owe him lunch.

I am getting more and more used to making simple files though.

If you need coppies of them when you get to that point, I can send them to you.

They would need to be adjusted for your machine and come with no warranty though. lol


Kenneth

[dlcw]

Tim,

Be careful with some of the Z-zero routines out there. Especially when working in SBLink. Some routines assume you are re-zeroing to the top of the material after a tool change. If you use these files and zero to the table top you will punch some pretty deep holes through your material and into the spoil board (don't ask how I know this :rolleyes:).

I've redesigned all my eCabs seed cabinets to eliminate tool changes. I use a 3/8" MC for all my dadoing and cutting and only zero to the table surface. Drawer parts are the same way. I've redesigned all my drawer parts to be machined and cut out using a 1/4" MC. All my shelf pin holes are done using the air drill. Makes quick work of things.

Like Gary said, you will need time to play and learn how the programming works. It is heavily parametric driven so you need to get your head around all the variables that are used. It makes for great flexibility but also introduces a lot of stuff you need to keep track of while programming.

[chunkstyle]

Ken,

Thanks for the offer. I will surely take you up on it. And by extension, thanks Gary!

Don,

Thanks for the heads up on the zeroing routines pitfalls. Very good to know about. Hopefully second hand.

I just finished watching the online lecture given by Ted Hall on "inside the sbp file". Watched it last night at home on a laptop and again this morning, following along with a second monitor on my computer. Very informative and a good way to learn. I'll continue trying to find as much material on these topics as I can. Made it much easier for me to understand the concepts as their being explained and applied and summarized.

Hey, I just learned how to give myself a prompt to turn a dust collector on by doing some text editing within a file. NEAT!

Tim